Moose on the Loose in Pittsfield Neighborhood (WATCH)

Residents in the Elm Street area got quite the surprise this morning when a moose was spotted roaming around the neighborhood.

Serval accounts on Facebook said the moose was in the Egremont neighborhood around 6:30 this morning. The moose was spotted on Cambridge Ave and then spotted again on Northumberland Rd. One person said he was "jogging at a good clip" and another seconded that sentiment and said he looked like he was out for a casual morning run.

While bears are a somewhat common sighting in residential neighborhoods seeing a moose is such a populated area is definitely out of the ordinary.

According to Mass Wildlife, historically, moose roamed the forests of Massachusetts. However, by the early 1700s, unregulated hunting and extensive forest clearing for pastures and farming by early settlers led to their disappearance. Moose began to appear again in greater numbers in Massachusetts starting around the 1980s, expanding south from neighboring states.

Moose are the largest members of the deer family in North America. In the fall, an adult cow (female) moose can weigh from 500 to 700 pounds and a bull (male) moose can weigh from 600 to over 1,000 pounds. They can stand up to 6 feet tall at the shoulder and have long legs 3–4 feet in length, which allow them to walk in deep snow.

Moose are an important natural resource in Massachusetts and their recent return is a testament to the state’s high quality wildlife habitat and management.

Moose are bashful animals that usually run away when you encounter them. But they can also be quite surly and hard to read when you encounter them. Males can become very aggressive during rutting season (September-October), while females tend to be very protective of young calves.

If you encounter a moose, your best bet is just to let it be. If a moose is in front of your car, blocking the road, don’t drive toward it threateningly or honk at it. Just be patient. It will move along eventually. Don’t try to chase a moose that’s running along a road either, because this will only agitate it and may result in injury to the animal.

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